The Tale of Gamelyn

[1] It is presented in a style of rhymed couplets and described by Skeat as "the older and longer kind of ballad" and by Ramsey as a "rough and ready romance.

"[2] This 900-line romance is set during the reign of King Edward I and tells the story of Gamelyn, and the various obstacles he must overcome in order to retrieve his rightful inheritance from his older brother.

[3] The Tale of Gamelyn is the story of a younger son, left at his father’s death in the care of a wicked elder brother, who seeks to cheat him out of his inheritance.

He knows that his neighbours will try to cheat the young Gamelyn of his share, but the old man is determined to have his own way: ‘Then seyde the knight I sware by Seynt Martin,For al that ye have y-doon yit is the land myn.’[5]

He grows up tall and strong, and as he stands in his brother's yard one day, he begins to think of his wasted lands, and he becomes determined to claim his inheritance.

They argue over his inheritance, then the elder brother calls his men to bind and beat the boy, however Gamelyn attacks them with a pestle then shuts himself in the hay loft.

Gamelyn makes a decision to try his luck, and as he tells his brother, it will bring great worship to the family if he can return with the trophies.

Gamelyn sets off, but as he nears the spot, he meets a poor franklin weeping, who tells him that the wrestling champion has slain his two sons.

He easily beats the champion and is presented with the ram and the ring ‘for the best wrasteler that ever here came.’ He thanks the wardens for his prize, then proceeds to invite all at the fair to accompany him home to celebrate his triumph in the hall.

Gamelyn had not reckoned on his brother's reactions, he had hoped that a broken neck would solve the family problems, and he has no intention of entertaining the mob at his home.

He then goes to the gate and opens in wide: ‘He let in alle maner men that goon in wold or ryd,And seyde ‘Ye be welcome, withouten eny greeve,For wee will be maistres here and aske no man leeve’ Five tuns of wine are broached, and Gamelyn swore that none should leave while a drop was left.

The feast lasted seven days and nights, and at the end, Gamelyn farewells his guests and proceeds to fetch his brother who had taken refuge in the cellar.

Meanwhile, Adam had fetched two staves and brought them to the door; suddenly the prisoner threw aside his fetters, and the guests found themselves facing two angry men armed with clubs.

While Gamelyn was celebrating his release, word had been sent to the sheriff of the affair, and four-and-twenty men had formed a posse to capture the offenders.

The case was dealt with briefly; the jury delivered their verdict, and the judge of assize gave his sentence that Sir Ote should hang as an outlaw.

Gamelyn had not failed his brother; when the verdict was delivered, Adam the Spencer was at the back of the court, and all the outlaws were outside waiting for his report on the proceedings.

A jury was quickly assembled from among the outlaws, and a verdict and sentence hastily delivered, and put to immediate execution: ‘The justice and the scherreve both hanged hye,To weyven with ropes and with the wynd drye;And the twelve sisours, sorwe have that rekke!Alle they were hanged faste by the nekke.’ The tables were turned, the outlaws had sat in judgment on the law itself, and right had won.

Skeat edited the poem separately in 1884 and included it in an appendix to his The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, relying on what he thought was the best manuscript.